England, 1805. The war with France had dragged on for eight years. The French fleet, imprisoned in port by the powerful British navy, refused to come out and fight a decisive battle, fearing a British victory. At home, inspired by the French Revolution, the craftsmen and tradesmen of England had banded together into societies dedicated to political reform and to curbing the power of the small privileged ruling class. These societies were banned by government decree and forced underground, Their members were labelled as Jacobin revolutionaries.
